blog posts

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  April Public Affairs Minute: Mental Health Days for Students, Professors and Staff and You!

  Apr 13, 2022 9:00 am111 views

  A new law went into effect on Jan. 1, 2022, that gives Illinois students five mental health days to use throughout the year without a doctor's note.  This brief message is another plea to step back and take a break.

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  STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: Jennifer Haegele-Ryterski, 2019 DPA Cohort

  Apr 7, 2022 9:00 am70 views

  Jennifer Haegele-Ryterski is a DPA student in the 2019 cohort who has been working with DPA Associate Director Dr. Sean McCandless on better understanding the experiences of people identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ+) in the criminal-legal system, particularly in probation.

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  Human Services Program - the End of an Era

  Apr 6, 2022 9:00 am133 views

  Saying farewell to Dr. Denise Bockmier-Sommers, Associate Professor & Human Services Program Lead, as she retires at the end of this academic year.

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  PAR Alumni Spotlight: Alex Degman returns to Illinois Capitol

  Mar 31, 2022 9:00 am62 views

  Public Affairs Reporting Director Jason Piscia chats with Alex Degman, PAR '09, who is returning to Springfield after nearly five years with KMOX in St. Louis as an anchor and reporter.

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  The Economy at the Start of 2022

  Mar 30, 2022 9:00 am186 views

  The economy at the start of 2022 can be summarized by the proverbial glass-half-full or glass-half-empty scenario. In this blog post, I will attempt to summarize the current data on the national, state, and regional economy, address concerns that continue to plague the economy, and summarize forecaster’s best guesses about what the economy will do for the rest of this year and into 2023.

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  The Financial Condition of the State of Illinois

  Mar 23, 2022 10:00 am2317 views

  Analyzing the financial condition of a large organization like the State of Illinois is a complex task, to put it mildly.  But in the following few paragraphs, we will try to describe the financial condition of Illinois at the end of the last fiscal year.

• Watch replay: Ray Long talks about his new book about former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan

  Mar 18, 2022 9:00 am35 views

  On March 17, the Public Affairs Reporting program hosted a conversation with Ray Long, the longtime investigative reporter at the Chicago Tribune. He recently authored a book about the political career of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.

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  Calling All Nonprofit Agencies looking to hire new talent!

  Mar 16, 2022 1:15 pm235 views

  GPSI has been placing UIS graduate students in State Government Agencies since its inception, and in recent years, GPSI has made an effort to ensure Nonprofit Agencies are aware of this program’s opportunity as well.

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  March Public Affairs Minute - Ukraine and Why It Matters at UIS

  Mar 7, 2022 1:30 pm64 views

  In our College, the impetus behind creating our new School of Politics and International Affairs (SPIA) was to recognize the importance of our political environment at home and abroad.

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  President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: What State and Local Policy Makers and Practitioners Need to Know?

  Mar 2, 2022 9:00 am67 views

  President Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Job Act is a bipartisan law passed in November 2021 is essentially equivalent to a 5-year capital improvement program financed by the federal government and implemented by state and local governments. 

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  CPAA Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Magic Wade, SPIA

  Feb 24, 2022 9:00 am574 views

  CPAA Faculty Spotlight on Dr. Magic Wade, Associate Professor of Political Science in the UIS School of Politics and International Affairs, whose research focuses on state labor laws, teachers unions, and public safety unions and more recently, on criminal justice, public safety, and urban politics.

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  BEST KEPT SECRET – NO MORE

  Feb 17, 2022 9:00 am174 views

  The Illinois Legislative Staff Intern Program (ILSIP) is the best kept secret at the University of Illinois at Springfield. It is hard to fathom why this is so.

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  PAR grad Ray Long talks about Michael Madigan with us on March 17

  Feb 16, 2022 9:00 am144 views

  Ray Long, PAR '81, chronicles Speaker Madigan’s storied legislative career in a new book – “The House That Madigan Built: The Record Run of Illinois' Velvet Hammer”, which comes out March 22.  We’d like to invite you to join us on Zoom at noon March 17 to hear from Long about his book and his career covering Madigan.

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  CPAA Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Bob Blankenberger, SPMP

  Feb 10, 2022 9:15 am160 views

  CPAA Faculty Spotlight on Dr. Bob Blankenberger, Associate Professor of Public Administration in the UIS School of Public Management and Policy, whose research interests are focused on educational policy, program evaluation, and how to improve educational attainment.

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  Time to Create an Illinois Academy of Politics?

  Feb 8, 2022 9:00 am80 views

  There are many concerns surrounding our current political discourse in our nation today. I would like to change course a bit in my past reflections about the nature of our disappointing and curious political environment in 2022. In fact, I’m hoping to interject a sense of hope and optimism at a time when that seems hard to identify.

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  J.P. Lucas, MPA 19’: A Peruvian-American Budget Analyst

  Jan 26, 2022 9:30 am150 views

  Jean-Pierre Lucas earned his MPA from UIS in 2019 - the MPA enabled him to connect theory and practice by linking his experiences in the classroom with his work in a state agency.

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  We Know This Much is True

  Jan 25, 2022 9:00 am203 views

  Deidre Graham Silas was laid to rest this past weekend, in a beautiful service that intentionally celebrated the life she lived, rather than the circumstances that tragically ended her life on January 5th.  But to fully understand this reflective piece it is sadly necessary to point out how Deidre’s life was ended....

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  UIS Showcasing Graduate Education Options for Students

  Jan 20, 2022 9:00 am79 views

  Attending graduate school is a popular next step for those who want to further their education or their career. UIS has found that it is important to share this information with its’ students so they may know their options and take advantage of such an opportunity at their fingertips.

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  Your Local Newspaper Is In Trouble

  Jan 19, 2022 11:00 am102 views

  The most recent figures from Pew Research Center’s analysis of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the number of newsroom employees in the United States fell by 26% since 2008.  Most of that loss has happened at newspapers, which often is a community’s best source of consistent, in-depth, solid watchdog news coverage. 

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  Elevating community voices: Using GIS to think about child welfare in the State of Illinois

  Jan 11, 2022 9:00 am250 views

  What is the importance of community factors to public administrators in the child welfare system? How might different protective or risk factors influence the outcome of youth in care at various decision points?  Technical training in GIS allows public administrators to visually interpret data to understand better relationships, patterns, and trends that may have been missed in a traditional reports.

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  CPAA Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Matthew Geras, SPIA

  Jan 7, 2022 9:00 am194 views

  CPAA Faculty Spotlight on Dr. Matthew Geras, Assistant Professor of Political Science in the UIS School of Politics and International Affairs, whose teaching and research focuses on U.S. elections and American political institutions, including Congress, the presidency, and political parties.

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  With Wishes for a Magical Holiday Season

  Dec 23, 2021 9:00 am78 views

  As the Fall semester concludes and the holidays are soon upon us, there is no better time than now to reach out to students, faculty, staff, alumni, community members, stakeholders and our Public Affairs Community to wish you all a most sincere “Season’s Greetings” from the Office of the Dean.

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  News literacy: A lesson for all ages

  Dec 22, 2021 9:00 am349 views

  As the last several months have shown us, misinterpreted or flat-out bogus information about vaccines, masks, the outcome of the 2020 presidential election and much more affects – and polarizes – all ages.

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  CPAA Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Betsy Goulet, SPMP

  Dec 21, 2021 9:00 am427 views

  CPAA Faculty Spotlight:  Dr. Betsy Goulet, Clinical Assistant Professor, Public Administration & Child Advocacy Studies Coordinator

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  Team Effort – Interns Win!!!

  Dec 16, 2021 9:00 am311 views

  Celebrating a partnership that marries a passion for social work with policy in the Illinois Legislative Staff Intern Program (ILSIP).

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  CPAA Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Amanda Hughett, Legal Studies

  Dec 8, 2021 9:00 am306 views

  Hello! I’m Dr. Amanda Hughett, an Assistant Professor of Legal Studies. I’m an interdisciplinary scholar whose research and teaching focus on law, social movements, and the criminal justice system in the United States.

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  Accountability for Social Equity

  Dec 1, 2021 9:30 am402 views

  At the end of 2021, I am again reminded why public administration is so important and because of this, it is critical that public service agencies must be accountable for social equity.

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  First-Generation College Student Celebration

  Nov 18, 2021 9:00 am347 views

  On November 8th colleges and universities celebrate their students, faculty, and staff who are first-generation college students.

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  Will Congress give a tax break to local news organizations?

  Nov 16, 2021 8:45 am57 views

  With President Joe Biden on Monday signing a $1 trillion bill to fix roads, bridges, water systems and other aspects of America’s infrastructure, attention now turns to another expensive part of Biden’s plan – a $1.85 trillion social spending bill that includes help for local news organizations.

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  November Public Affairs Minute - Civility

  Nov 9, 2021 11:15 am141 views

  There is one concept that emerges above all in trying to seek a solution or a way forward in our current divisive political environment and social discord. That missing ingredient is civility.

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  Mission Control: Misinformation

  Nov 4, 2021 9:30 am159 views

  Misinformation has cost us all a lot of time and is increasingly costing us more.  How do you make sure you have credible information? 

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  GPSI Student Spotlight

  Oct 21, 2021 9:00 am200 views

  The Office of Graduate Intern Programs would like to recognize one of our student leaders and intern, Cynthia “Liz” Sanchez (PSC).

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  Budget & Finance Expertise: UIS Public Administration Professors Participate in ABFM Conference in Washington DC

  Oct 19, 2021 9:30 am132 views

  Six Public Administration faculty members presented at the the Association for Budgeting and Financial Management (ABFM) conference in Washington, DC, from September 30 to October 2, 2021. 

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  Illinois Department of Public Health Director Ngozi Ezike to speak on health equity, October 19

  Oct 15, 2021 9:30 am240 views

  Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), will discuss health equity in Illinois at 6 p.m. Tuesday, October 19. This is a free, virtual presentation that is open to the public.

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  The Sangamon Success Progress Report Documents the Success of a Community

  Sep 29, 2021 9:00 am337 views

  In 2015, the Continuum of Learning (CoL) released the Sangamon Success report, a selection of 25 evidence-based recommendations for improving outcomes for children in Sangamon County who are less advantaged. These recommendations support children from before birth until their graduation from high school

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  PAR: Real journalism experience and a master’s degree without a huge student loan

  Sep 23, 2021 9:30 am216 views

  A headline in the Wall Street Journal caught my eye last week:  “Journalism schools leave graduates with hefty student loans”.  The article focused on the cost of a journalism master’s degree at well-known institutions like Northwestern University near Chicago and Columbia University in New York City – and the debt students are taking on to get those degrees.  However, not all schools will bury you in debt to provide a graduate-level education that includes a guaranteed opportunity to get professional experience.

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  UIS and the State of Illinois: A Half Century of Collaboration in Public Service

  Sep 21, 2021 9:30 am264 views

  For nearly 50 years, UIS has been partnering with the State of Illinois to provide graduate students the opportunity to simultaneously pursue their graduate degree while gaining professional experience working at a state agency.

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  What's YOUR "Why" and Why It Matters

  Sep 8, 2021 1:15 pm95 views

  What's YOUR “why”?  At Innovate Springfield, we often challenge the starters that we serve with this question to help them maintain their clarity and focus.

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  Labor Day…Work…And the New Semester!

  Sep 6, 2021 10:00 am13 views

  Is Labor Day a recognition or equally a celebration of the concept of work?

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  How Do Foreign Policy Experts Think About Allies?

  Sep 2, 2021 11:30 am62 views

  A new experiment by researchers from the University of Illinois at Springfield, the University of Chicago, and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs finds that policy experts care about formal alliances. But even alliance relationships have limits.   How Do Foreign Policy Experts Think About Allies?  a blog post by Sibel Oktay, Paul Poast, Dina Smeltz, and Craig Kafura, for the Chicago Council on Foreign Affairs.

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  UIS Perspectives: Inspiring professionals as agents of change

  Aug 27, 2021 10:30 am45 views

  The Doctor of Public Administration (DPA) program at the University of Illinois Springfield is one of only a handful of professional "public affairs" doctorates throughout the country. The program is a door opener to a variety of career paths as we seek to inspire and equip students to be more effective agents of change.  Read more in this SJR column by Dr. Travis Bland.

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  Legislative Internships and What’s Next

  Aug 19, 2021 11:00 am214 views

  Change is in the air. It’s that time of year and the UIS Campus is beginning to look like a college campus again with students coming and going in larger numbers than in over a year. Throughout this time, the Illinois Legislative Staff Intern Program has continued placing students with the Illinois General Assembly.

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  New year’s resolutions for news consumers

  Aug 17, 2021 10:00 am103 views

  The fall semester begins this week at UIS. To me, this time of year feels more like New Year’s Day than Jan. 1.  So with that in mind, allow me to wish you a Happy New Year and provide you with some new year’s resolutions.

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  Top 5 Reasons to Get a Degree in Environmental Studies at UIS

  Aug 10, 2021 11:00 am72 views

  Do you want to make a difference? The Department of Environmental Studies provides students with the advanced interdisciplinary training necessary for solving environmental problems.

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  The Value of Education in Public Affairs for Balancing Truth and Emotions in the 21st Century

  Aug 5, 2021 10:00 am102 views

  Our courses and degrees prepare students for careers where they analyze problems, develop policies, serve citizens and provide leadership in Illinois, the nation and even worldwide.

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  Why Should You Consider A Political Science Bachelor’s Degree at UIS?

  Jul 29, 2021 10:00 am202 views

  I learned about politics when I asked for a new bike at age seven.  First my mom, and then my dad, asked me if the other parent had agreed to this life-changing purchase.  I was running interference between my parents. I could tell that my mom was supportive of my quest for a bike, so I teamed up with her to convince my dad. A few days later, I was a happy little girl with a shiny new bike.  Come study politics with us at UIS to learn how individuals, societies, and states cooperate and compete with each other to get what they want.

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  Evaluating Plastic Litter Prevention Strategies on Lake Springfield, Illinois

  Jul 22, 2021 10:00 am354 views

  As summer in Central Illinois rolls on, one thing is sure: Illinois residents depend on and love our waterways. However, some of our main recreational activities and everyday consumption patterns can also lead to high levels of shoreline litter or even widespread pollution, endangering wildlife, ecosystems, and the many summer pastimes that so many of us love.

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  Opening the Pipeline to Public Service

  Jul 15, 2021 10:00 am423 views

  A common question we get asked by prospective students in the Office of Graduate Intern Programs is, “Am I guaranteed a job after graduation?”

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  July Public Affairs Minute

  Jul 14, 2021 10:00 am90 views

  July Fourth is upon us and it’s time to celebrate the birth of the nation. In many respects, I hope we can treat this summer like no other in recent memory!  Although there may still be a need for health monitoring and some restrictions to make sure we are fully “out of the woods,” it’s still good to see the “light at the end of the tunnel.”

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  UIS Model United Nations Program - A Standout Experience

  Jul 1, 2021 10:15 am254 views

  A stand-out experience that I have had while studying Global Studies at the university has been being a part of National Model United Nations, a simulation of the United Nations.